Living Room in Chinese 客厅里
kètīng lǐ
Living room in Chinese is 客厅 (kè tīng).
Also searched for as: sofa, lounge, TV room.
Room by room: where you relax. 15 essential in the living room words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The living room, 客厅 (kè tīng), is where most families relax, watch TV and welcome visitors. Its vocabulary is full of everyday objects: the 沙发 (shā fā), the 茶几 (chá jī), literally a 'tea table', and the 遥控器 (yáo kòng qì), the remote that always goes missing. These words help you describe your space, ask where things are and chat comfortably as a guest in someone's home.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 沙发 | shā fā | sofa |
| 茶几 | chá jī | coffee table |
| 电视 | diàn shì | TV |
| 遥控器 | yáo kòng qì | remote control |
| 靠垫 | kào diàn | cushion |
| 地毯 | dì tǎn | rug; carpet |
| 窗帘 | chuāng lián | curtain |
| 台灯 | tái dēng | lamp |
| 书架 | shū jià | bookshelf |
| 照片 | zhào piàn | photo |
| 挂钟 | guà zhōng | wall clock |
| 花瓶 | huā píng | vase |
| 空调 | kōng tiáo | air conditioner |
| 墙 | qiáng | wall |
| 地板 | dì bǎn | floor |
Usage tips
- 台灯 (tái dēng) is specifically a table or desk lamp; a floor lamp is 落地灯 (luò dì dēng), and the general word for any light is 灯 (dēng).
- To say something is hanging on the wall, use 挂 (guà) with 着: 墙上挂着一张照片 (qiáng shàng guà zhe yī zhāng zhào piàn). The same pattern describes what's on the sofa or table.
- Many Chinese living rooms display a 全家福 (quán jiā fú), a formal family portrait, and asking about it is a friendly conversation starter when you're a guest.
Common mistakes
- Calling a coffee table a 咖啡桌 (kā fēi zhuō): the usual word is 茶几 (chá jī), even if nobody in the house drinks tea.
- Mixing up 地板 (dì bǎn), the floor itself, and 地毯 (dì tǎn), a rug or carpet laid on it; they differ by just one syllable, so listen for bǎn or tǎn.
Mini dialogue
- A你看见遥控器了吗？Nǐ kàn jiàn yáo kòng qì le ma?Have you seen the remote?
- B是不是在茶几上？Shì bù shì zài chá jī shàng?Is it on the coffee table?
- A没有。沙发上也没有。Méi yǒu. Shā fā shàng yě méi yǒu.No. It's not on the sofa either.
- B你看看靠垫下面。Nǐ kàn kan kào diàn xià miàn.Have a look under the cushions.
- A找到了！我们看电视吧。Zhǎo dào le! Wǒ men kàn diàn shì ba.Found it! Let's watch TV.
Example sentences
- 我在沙发上睡着了。I fell asleep on the sofa.
- 遥控器在茶几上。The remote is on the coffee table.
- 我们一起看电视吧。Let's watch TV together.
- 遥控器又找不到了。I can't find the remote again.
- 沙发上有很多靠垫。There are lots of cushions on the sofa.
- 小猫躺在地毯上。The kitten is lying on the rug.
- 拉开窗帘，让阳光进来。Open the curtains and let the sunlight in.
- 我买了一个新台灯。I bought a new lamp.
- 书架上都是小说。The bookshelf is full of novels.
- 墙上挂着全家福照片。A family photo hangs on the wall.
- 挂钟慢了五分钟。The wall clock is five minutes slow.
- 花瓶里有几朵花。There are a few flowers in the vase.
- 太热了，开空调吧。It's too hot, turn the air con on.
- 墙是白色的。The walls are white.
- 地板很干净。The floor is very clean.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The In the living room speaking island has 8 everyday questions about in the living room to prepare your own answers to.